Apple’s macOS Monterey is now ready for download – here’s how to get it

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It’s been four months since Apple announced macOS Monterey, but it’s now available as of October 25. Previously in beta, the full release should hopefully mean any bugs found during the beta have been squashed.

If you’ve got any other Apple devices, you’ll want to upgrade your Mac’s operating system once it’s available to download. Think of Monterey as the next stage of streamlining between all of Apple’s operating systems, bringing multiple features to your Mac that were previously only on iOS.

That includes Shortcuts, AirPlay, and new Focus profiles. The all-new Universal Control feature makes one mouse and keyboard able to control multiple Macs or iPads at the same time.

SharePlay is not available yet, which lets FaceTime users share music or watch shows with the person they’re calling. That will be coming eventually though, so you might not have long to wait.

Here’s how to upgrade your Mac to macOS Monterey

Okay, the first thing you need to check is if your Mac is on the compatibility list for macOS Monterey:

If you’re on that list, go back up your Mac before you start. You’ll want this, just in case.

Remove any software that might cause issues with the upgrade. VPN software always breaks things for me so that gets removed until the upgrade is over. If something you didn’t remove does cause an issue, make a note for the next time you have to upgrade your Mac so you can remove it ahead of time.

Click on the Apple icon at the top-left corner of your Mac’s desktop

Go to System Preferences > Software Update and find macOS Monterey in the list. Click on Upgrade Now and go make a coffee or something because this is gonna take some time.

While you’re in Software Update, you might want to tick the box next to Automatically keep my Mac up to date so you don’t have to manually trigger updates anymore

Once the upgrade is over, reboot your Mac. Now you’re on macOS Monterey, with all of its new features.

If this is your only computer, you might want to wait a little while before upgrading – every major operating system upgrade can come with bugs or app incompatibilities, which usually get ironed out pretty quickly.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.